Envelope with tearout section to form a window and provide a receipt and the like



Jan. 23, 1968 J. T. POWELL. JR 3,355,117

ENVELOPE WITH TEAROUT SECTION TO FORM A WINDOW AND PROVIDE A RECEIPT AND THE LIKE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 26, 1966 INVENTOR. John 7, Pan/ell, Jr:

g wzwm A T TOR/V5 Y Jan. 23, 1968 J. T. POWELL. JR 3,365,117 ENVELOPE WITH TEAROUT SECTION TO FORM A WINDOW AND PROVIDE A RECEIPT AND THE LIKE Filed 001;. 26, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 STOR E S ADDRESS PHONE DATE INVENTOR. %0/7/7 Z" P0u e// Jr:

A T TOHNE Y Unitcd States Patent 3 365 117 ENVELOPE WITH TEA ROI JT SECTION TO FORM A WINDOW AND PROVIDE A RECEIPT AND THE LIKE John T. Powell, Jr., Minneapolis, Minn., assignor to Tension Envelope Corporation, Kansas City, Mo., a corporation of Delaware Filed Oct. 26, 1966, Ser. No. 589,611 3 Claims. (Cl. 229-41) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An envelope is provided with a tearout section integral with a panel and which has a perimeter defined by an easy line of tear to produce a window looking into the envelope pocket when the tearout section is removed. A light transmitting .patch is located within the pocket in covering relation to the tearout section and has margins lapping over the easy line of tear. Thus, when the tearout section is removed, the interior of the envelope may be viewed through the patch while the portion torn out may be used as a receipt or the like.

This invention relates to envelopes, for example, those used by merchants to contain an order for processing films, making prints, or repair of small items left by a customer to be processed or serviced for delivery at a later date.

Usually such envelopes have a receipt tab, claim check, or voucher that bears an identification also appearing on the envelope, so that the tab, when detached, is given to the customer as a receipt or proof of services to be rendered, amount paid, and the like, by which the order is identified when the customer returns and presents such tab to the merchant.

Heretofore it has been a practice that such a receipt tab, claim check, and the like, is attached to and projectsfrom some marginal edge or a part of the envelope, such as the top, bottom, or one of the side flaps, consequently, it adds to the perimetric outline of the die shape necessary in dieing out the blanks from which the envelopes are formed. Obviously, more paper is required in the manufacture of the envelopes than the usual envelope, depending upon the amount of extension and wastage necessary between placement of the die cuts due to the increase in outline of the blanks. Also, when such extensions are relatively large, they interfere with folding operations on the blanks, particularly when the envelope making machine is running at the high speed of modern envelope making machines. Therefore, it is obvious that envelopes having such extensions increase cost of manufacture, which, while being relatively small per envelope, is substantial when the envelopes are used in large quantities.

With the above in mind, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide envelopes of this character with a detachable section that does not change the perimetric outline of the die from that of a conventional envelope, in that the tearout section is incorporated within the body of the envelope. Also, it is desirable to provide envelopes with windows for inspection of the contents without making it necessary to open the closure flap, in which case removal of the tearout section produces the window. This feature of the invention eliminates the necessity of also dieing out a window opening when making envelopes having the tearout section. The invention may also contemplate a patch applied under the tearout section to cover the window when the tearout section is removed.

The present invention further contemplates envelopes wherein the tearout section may serve as an inspection 3,365,117 Patented Jan. 23, 1968 slip and/or guaranty slip to be enclosed with the many forms of merchandise capable of being packaged in envelope containers.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention as hereinafter described, I have provided improved structure, the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an envelope equipped with a tearout section in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a similar view of the envelope, showing slight squeezing pressure exerted on side edges thereof to pop out portions of the tearout section for making it more easily accessible for removal.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the envelope, showing the manner of removal of the tear out section.

FIG. 4 is a similar perspective view of the envelope after removal of the tearout section and illustrating the window for exposing contents of the envelope to view, thereby eliminating the necessity of opening the closure flap, the tearout section being shown in spaced apart relation.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged horizontal section taken on the line 5-5 of FIG. 2, to better illustrate the popped-out portions.

FIG. 6 is a face view of the envelope blank used in forming the envelope of FIGS. 1 to 4, inclusive.

FIG. 7 is a view of the inner side of the blank, showing the patch that is applied to the blank over the tearout section.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged, fragmentary section through the window patch and tearout section, taken on the line 8-8 of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary portion of an envelope constructed in accordance with the present invention, and showing a tearout section of a diiferent shape and having a recess to facilitate lifting of the tearout section from the plane of the envelope for starting removal thereof.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

1 designates an envelope constructed in accordance with the present invention from a blank 2, as illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7. While the drawing illustrates the invention as applied to an open end envelope, it is to be understood that the invention is just as adaptable to open side envelopes or any style envelope or container in which a tearout section is desirable.

In accordance with the present invention, the envelope blank 2 has the perimetric outline 3 of a standard type envelope blank, free of any projections other than is required to provide a generally rectangular front panel portion 4, side flaps 5 and 6, a bottom flap 7, and a closure flap 8.

Since envelopes of the type to which the invention pertains have a window opening for the purpose, for example, of inspecting the contents without opening the closure flap, it is the purpose of the invention to utilize a portion of the body of the envelope as the tearout section 9 to be used as a receipt, claim check, inspection slip, or a guaranty slip and the like. In this way, the tearout section 9 also provides the window opening and eliminates waste of material. The tearout section 9 may be of any shape and/or size and arranged within a part of the envelope best suited for a window opening, depending upon convenience and use. Also, the invention permits the patch 18 which covers the tearout section 9 to be attached to a solid blank. This is particularly desirable in handling the blanks, and particularly those requiring large window openings.

In the preferred form of the invention, the tearout section 9 is in the front panel portion 4 and is defined by arcuate end cuts 10 and 11 joining parallel lines of perforations 12 and 13. The cuts 10 and 11 are preferably con- (3 tinuous along the length of the arcs, so that it is easy to grip the section 9 in tearing along the lines of perforations 12 and 13, as later described. It is to be understood that the perimeter of the area defined by the cuts 10 and 11 and perforations 12 and 13 may be of any size desired and take various shapes, depending upon the opening desired (FIG. 6).

The blanks 2 thus shaped may be printed as desired, depending upon use thereof, but space is provided for an identifying number as indicated at 14 on the tearout section 9 and a like number on the body of the envelope as indicated at 15.

In order to close the window when the tearout section 9 is removed, a stripe of adhesive 16 (FIGS. 5, 7 and 8) is applied to the inner face 17 of the blank surrounding the lines of definition of the tearout section 9. A patch 13, sufficiently large so that its marginal edges 21) overlap the adhesive 16 is applied over the tearout section 9 and sealed to the blank by the adhesive, as shown in FIG. 7. When it is desired to see within the envelope, the patch is of a material capable of transmitting light therethrough.

An adhesive stripe 21 is applied to the inner face of the side flap portion 6 to form a side seam when the side flap portion is first folded over the inner face 17 of the front panel portion 4 in overlying relation with the patch 18. Upon folding of the ilap 6 to bring the adhesive 21 in sealing contact with the side flap 5, a pocket 22 is formed between the side flaps and inner face of the panel 4. The bottom flap portion 7 is folded over the side flap portions and secured .by adhesive 23 to close the bottom of the pocket, to complete the envelope of FIG. 1. The opposite end having the closure flap 3 is left open to provide an insert opening 24. The closure flap 8 may be folded over the insert opening 24 or left extended as shown. If desired, the closure flap 8 may have a sealing adhesive 25 thereon to seal the closure flap when the envelope is to be used.

The above operations may all be carried out in a high speed rotary envelope making machine equipped with a patching mechanism.

In the form of the invention shown in FIG. 9, the tearout section 26 is generally rectangular and defined around the margins thereof by lines of perforations 27- 27' joining in the perforations 28-29 on rounding curves 30. To facilitate start of a tear along the lines of perforations, a recess or notch 31 is provided to form a free edge portion 32 in line, for example, with the perforations 27 and adapted to be lifted for starting removal of the tearout section 26. The tear out section 26 is covered on the inner face by a patch 33 that is secured to the inner face of the surrounding envelope portion 34 by adhesive 35 in the same manner as the first described form of the invention. It is, of course, understood that the patch is large enough to cover the recess or notch 31.

In using the envelope of the invention, for example, to contain rolls of film to .be processed, the order taker holds the envelope in the palm of the hand, with the side edge folds engaged between the thumb and fingers, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, to exert a slight squeezing pressure that causes outward curving of the front panel portion of the envelope, as best shown in FIGS. 2 and S. This causes the ends 36 of the tearout section 9 to pop out from the envelope so that one of them is easily gripped between the thumb and finger of the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3, to be drawn retractively toward the opposite side of the envelope and cause tears to be produced through the perforations 12 and 13. The tearout strip 9 is thus freed from the envelope and handed to the customer for his receipt.

If the order taker does not choose to pop out the ends of the tearout strip, one of the ends may be lifted by the fingernail, a pencil, or the like.

The customers name and address, telephone number, and date may be entered on the envelope on the lines 37. The order may be entered on the envelope, for example, on the lines 38, and the charges entered in the block 39. The roll or rolls of films are placed in the pocket 22 of the envelope, where they are visible in the pocket through the patch that closes the opening left upon removal of the tearout section.

After the film has been processed and the order completed, the customer calls and surrenders the receipt so that the number thereon may be checked for the envelope having the corresponding number.

In the form of invention shown in FIG. 9, the perforations substantially surround the tearout section, but the edge portion 32 is easily engaged to start tear along the lines of perforations when the tearout section is to be removed. In this instance, the tearout section is shown as printed for an inspection slip. The inspector inspecting merchandise to be packaged in the envelope merely tears out the slip and places the merchandise and slip in the pocket of the envelope. The merchandise in the pocket is visible through the patch 33 after the opening is formed upon removal of the inspection slip.

It is obvious that this form of the invention may also be used for a receipt tab, claim check, voucher or guaranty slip, depending upon the purpose for which the envelope is to be used. The only difference would simply be in the printing.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An envelope provided from a blank including a rectangular panel portion and flap portions necessary to cooperate with said panel portion in providing a pocket closed along three edges by folds of said flap portions and open at the other edge to provide an insert opening to said pocket and which insert opening is closable by one flap and including:

(a) a tearout section integral with said blank and located within a portion of the blank that provides said pocket,

(b) said tearout section having a perimeter defined by an easy line of tear to provide a window in said pocket when the tearout section is removed,

(c) a light transmitting patch located within said pocket in covering relation with the tearout section and having margins lapping over the easy line of tear, and an adhesive sealing margins of said patch to interface portions of the envelope to provide a cover for the window opening that is provided when the tearout section is removed from said envelope.

2. The envelope as described in claim 1 wherein the tearout section is located transversely within said panel portions intermediate side folds of the envelope and is defined by (a) at least one slit at an end thereof nearest one of said side flaps and by perforations joining the slit, and in which (b) the end of the tearout section pops out for easy grip thereof when a squeezing pressure is provided between the side folds of the envelope.

3. The envelope as described in claim 1 wherein:

(a) the easy line of tear is a line of perforations along inner sides of the adhesive and a notch extends from a portion of said line of perforations to facilitate the start of the tear.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,068,858 7/1913 Cohn 22971 1,317,114 9/1919 West 229-70 X FOREIGN PATENTS 120,003 10/ 1918 Great Britain. 141,902 Switzerland.

DAVID M. BOCKENEK, Primary Examiner. 

